A new cancer treatment called CAR T-cell therapy has been introduced to Chris Vogelsang, a 70-year-old man with an aggressive lymphoma, searching for a cure. This new cutting-edge therapy is a treatment to advance gene therapy and train the human body to target and destroy the cancer cells; a treatment that two-thirds of Americans are unaware of. This therapy consists of doctors extracting killer immune cells, also known as T-cells, from blood, which are genetically engineered to target the cancer cells. The T-cells are then transferred back into the immune system via IV. According to the article, leukemia treated with the therapy has a 90% remission rate. Vogelsang underwent this CAT T-cell treatment, and since March of 2023, he has shown no signs of cancer on his scans. This therapy is only approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for specific types of blood cancers.
I found this article fascinating, and I had no idea that there were any types of treatment besides chemoradiation to treat cancer. Even though this therapy only treats certain kinds of blood cancers, it is still very impressive that this is an option for people like Chris Vogelsang and others out there who doubted their ability to get better. CAR T-cell therapy is generally covered by insurance, but insurance can vary and possibly not be covered in each case. I hope in the future that more gene therapies are developed and implemented into society to better the welfare of all affected by cancer.
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